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This blog was started in 2008 when we did IVF for the first time to build our family after 5 1/2 years of infertility. We now have 8 and 2 year old boys (thanks to modern medicine) and we are enjoying our blessed life as parents ♥ In the summer of 2016 we took another huge step and moved across the country from Oklahoma to New York! This blog is about life and everything in between

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Mmmm, mango sounds pretty good about now! Yes I am 23 weeks today, and yes it is still flying by! Bradley is kicking stronger every day, and I started feeling him kick at the top of my uterus which was a little different...weird knowing it is really up that high! Here are the updates:

Turn on the radio and sway to the music. With his sense of movement well developed by now, your baby can feel you dance. And now that he's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango), you may be able to see him squirm underneath your clothes. Blood vessels in his lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that your baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing him for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as your dog barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze him when he hears them outside the womb.

The only thing I don't like about these comparisons to fruit is that they are not always a SIZE comparison. Sometimes they are a just a weight comparison. Oh well.

Otherwise things are going great with everything still! No nausea, no excessive weight gain, no stretch marks...don't be jealous :) I think I'm up about 9lbs now. The belly has most definitely gotten bigger since my 20wk picture, and next week is the next one so be sure to check back for the update on that. Next week is also my 6 month OB appointment and glucose test.

In non-pregnancy news, the hubby and I have finished painting our two extra bedrooms, and now just need to work on organizing clutter and deep cleaning the house so that we can get it listed for sale! I decided that doing it FSBO would be way to much of a headache right now, considering I would be the one to deal with everything. So after doing some research, we decided to go with "Help U Sell". They do everything for you except show the house, and they list it on several websites and provide signs. They can list it on the MLS if you like, but then you would have to pay 3% commission to a realtor who found it. Otherwise the fee is a flat $4000 due at signing for a selling price

Today while we were out and about running errands, we also stopped at the apartments that we decided to use so that we could go through their "model" apartment. It is very nice and clean, gated w/24hr security patrol, a fitness center, pool, and year round hottub. We are either going to get a 1,100sf or 1,200sf 2 bedroom apt, and it includes a full size fridge AND a full size washer and dryer! It will be a big change for us to downsize from our current house to this apartment, especially for Nick because he has never lived in an apartment. But it is purely temporary and will really save us money while he is finishing school and (hopefully) I am working part time.

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

I haven't actually bought any of the big stuff for Bradley's nursery yet, so I thought I would post and at least show you my tentative ideas for the theme:

We have decided to go with the jungle/safari theme, and I particularly like this set because it is so colorful, and not too cartoony. And of course it had an adorable matching lamp and wall decor that go with it!! My plan is to paint the walls one of the khaki colors (we will be in an apartment) and then hand paint letters spelling his name out above his crib, probably one of the dark greens. As for the letters, I have bought the B and the R. I'm just getting a few here and there, I'm in no hurry. I want to drag this out as much as I can!!!

I wasn't quite sure when I should start buying the big stuff--crib bedding, crib, car seat, etc. I'll be 23 weeks next week, and I think my baby shower will be around the end of April. So probably around the end of March?

As for the crib...I have thought about, and I love dark cherry wood, but our next house is probably already going to have dark wood floors, and I don't want too much dark furniture. I am leaning toward white furniture in the nursery, because a white crib would be a whole lot easier to repaint/repair for long term use. Also if I find other pieces of furniture that work in the nursery, I could easily paint them and decorate to match! Keep in mind I am very frugal and have no intention of blowing tons of money on furniture/decorations. A lot of it I'm going to make myself, like wall art and curtains. And when spring gets here, that is the perfect time to start hitting up garage sales because we all know that baby stuff only gets used for a few months till it's outgrown!

In closing, I most likely will buy a new crib, just because I will know that it is in good shape and warrantied, and I definitely want a convertible one so that it can grow with Bradley. So here is a picture of what I am thinking...

Monday, February 16, 2009

I am 22 weeks today, and Bradley is already up to 1lb and almost a foot long!!! I can really feel him moving around in there at times, and it is getting easier for Nick to feel him too. We are very excited about his arrival this summer!!! I had a question about where I found the updates on his growth and the website is babycenter.com. Here they are:

At 11 inches (the length of a spaghetti squash) and almost 1 pound, your baby is starting to look like a miniature newborn. His lips, eyelids, and eyebrows are becoming more distinct, and he's even developing tiny tooth buds beneath his gums. His eyes have formed, but his irises (the colored part of the eye) still lack pigment. If you could see inside your womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers his body and the deep wrinkles on his skin, which he'll sport until he adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside his belly, his pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily.

As for our trip--we had the best time!! We rented a car Friday morning and arrived at our resort in Colorado Springs, CO Friday evening. Saturday we enjoyed the light snow that was covering everything, then headed up into the mountains to see Pike's Peak. Later that evening we treated ourselves to a New York strip steak dinner for Valentine's Day, then relaxed the rest of the evening together. Sunday we checked out and got breakfast, then hit the road and got home just after midnight Sunday night!! The beautiful scenery there just reinforced our decision to get out of Oklahoma and move on to better things!! Here are the pics:

Monday, February 9, 2009

Only 3 more weeks until the 3rd trimester is here! I'm still amazed that I'm even pregnant, much less 2/3 done with it. I'm a little sad that it is coming to an end soon, but then again I am going to enjoy being bigger and so obviously pregnant that everyone will know! I can finally be one of "those" people :) Here are the updates for the week:

Your baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long — the length of a carrot. You may soon feel like he's practicing martial arts as her initial fluttering movements turn into full-fledged kicks and nudges. You may also discover a pattern to his activity as you get to know him better. In other developments, your baby's eyebrows and lids are present now, and if you're having a girl, her vagina has begun to form as well.

This weekend is Valentine's Day, and while I think it is an overrated holiday that is meant for dating couples who want to impress each other, we are semi-celebrating it by a weekend trip to Colorado Springs, CO. The way it worked out was Nick and I had been wanting to go to CO for awhile because neither of us had been. My friend Sara decided to book a surprise trip there with her hubby and told us we should come along. So we said "Sure!" and booked ours. Well when she told her hubby about it he didn't want to go so they cancelled the trip, but we are still going and looking forward to it! We like to take roadtrips here and there, and I'm looking forward to what Colorado is like. We leave Friday morning and return Sunday night, so be looking for a big post next Monday with pictures from the trip and a 22 week update!!

Monday, February 2, 2009

Today ladies and gentlemen, I have reached the 20 week mark. I am already halfway to the big day!! I absolutely can not wait to hold my little Bradley and smell his head and change his diapers :) I can frequently feel him moving around in there, sometimes kicking, sometimes stretching. I don't think I've felt any hiccups yet, and it's a bit too early for Nick to feel him kicking. Here are the updates:

Your baby weighs about 10 1/2 ounces now. He's also around 6 1/2 inches long from head to bottom and about 10 inches from head to heel — the length of a banana. (For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against his torso and hard to measure, measurements are taken from the top of his head to his bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, he's measured from head to toe.)He's swallowing more these days, which is good practice for his digestive system. He's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in his bowels, and you'll see it in his first soiled diaper (some babies pass meconium in the womb or during delivery).

I am up about 5-6 pounds, and hungry all the time! I've been trying to watch what I eat so the weight gain is slow and steady. Otherwise me and little Bradley are still doing great, no complaints here! Work is going good--a lot of overtime for me. I am looking forward to my 3 month paid vacation this summer :) The hubby is doing well and getting ready to take one of his computer certifications. That's all the news for now, hope you like my new look on here!

Who I Am...

I am a wife, mother, nurse, and all around crafty gal enjoying being in my 30s. I've been married for over 15 years to my first love and we grew our family with the help of IVF--not once but twice--and are infertility survivors. We are simple people who prefer an old-fashioned lifestyle. We live on a budget but are happy to splurge on travels! Follow my blog to read about crafts, recipes, tips, and all kinds of other great stuff!